Circuit-closer for hot-water heaters.



C. A. FOX.

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR HOT WATER HEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8. 1914.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A FOX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR HOT-WATER HEATER-S.

Application filed December 8, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. Fox, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closers for Hot-\Vater Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to circuit closers for hot water heaters, and more especially to means for regulating the heating action thereof, the object of the invention being to provide an improved construction of this character for maintaining water at a substantially constant temperature.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a partial top plan view of a heater equipped with a circuit closer embodying my invention, F ig. 2, a vertical section of the same showing an electric circuit employed therein, diagrammatically, and, Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional view of the lower end of a floating stem employed in the construction.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawing comprises a glass globe 4 adapted to contain water, and provided with a central opening in its top. The opening in globe 4 is closed by a cap or dome 5 having a removable door 6 for the insertion of water into said globe, said dome being also provided with an upstanding neck 7 A glass mercury tube 8 is suspended within globe 4 and is provided at its bottom with an enlarged well 9 filled with mercury. At its upper end, tube 8 is provided with a flange or lip 10, and a cap or plate 11 of insulating material is arranged thereover and provided with set screws 12 resting on the upper edge of neck 7 and under lip 10, thus serving to suspend tube 8 in globe 4.

Cap 11 is provided with upstanding screws 13 having binding nuts 14 thereon serving as a means for securing wires 15 of an electric circuit including a heating coil 16 arranged under globe 4. Screws 13 also carry adjustable contact nuts 17 which may Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Serial No. 876,097.

be adjusted up and down on said screws, as will be readily understood.

A hollow floating glass stem 18 is arranged within tube 8 to float upon the top of the mercury in well 9, said stem being provided at its bottom with a minute recess 19 filled with mercury which is retained therein by capillary attraction and vacuum action. The recess 19 may be readily filled by inverting stem 18 and pouring the recess full of mercury. Upon reversing of the position of said stem this mercury will be held in the recess by the combined effects of surface tension, capillary attraction and vacuum action. In actual use the mercury in this recess unites with the mercury in tube 8 so as to effect what might be termed a physical connection between the lower end of stem 18 and the mercury on which it rides thus greatly increasing the sensitiveness of the same. At its upper end, stem 18 carries a contact plate 20 adapted to contact with nuts 17 and close the circuit through heating coil 16.

By this arrangement, it will be observed, that when the temperature of the water in globe 4 rises, the mercury in well 9 will also be heated and expand and raise the stem 18 and consequently the contact plate 20 to break the circuit through the heating coil, thus discontinuing the supply of heat. WVhen the temperature of the water in globe 4 falls below a certain point, said circuit will be closed again and the heat resupplied. By adjusting the nuts 17, the temperature at which the'heating may be discontinued, may be varied as desired.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efl'ect, this is capa ble of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A circuit breaker comprising a tube having a mercury well at its bottom; a stem of insulating material in said tube resting on said mercury; a cap surrounding the upper In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. FOX.

end of said stem; upstanding screws con nected to said cap and in series in said electric. circuit; adjustable contact nuts on said screws; and a metallic plate carried by the upper end of said stem and adapted to contact with said contact nuts, substantially as described.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Poms, HELEN F. LILLIs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gemmissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. G. 

